The new High Sheriff

FORMER LLS PRESIDENT NOW HIGH

SHERIFF OF LEICESTERSHIRE

Just before the end of March, I found myself at St Martin’s House in a long black coat with steel cut buttons and frills, a hat with a sculpted burnt ostrich feather in it and an enormous sword making a solemn declaration to truly serve The Queen’s Majesty in the Office of High Sheriff of Leicestershire.

It has been a whirlwind 4 months no doubt seen by those following me on social media as I have shared the journal of most of the engagements and events I have attended through this medium.

It is a huge privilege and an honour to have the opportunity to serve the Community that I have been a part of for almost 20 years; I left Blackburn at 18 to go to Cambridge, and never really went back. I have now lived in Leicester longer than I have lived anywhere else; for me it is home. It is where I started and built my business, it is where my daughter grew up and went to school and it is where I have been given the chance to serve the people of this City and County in many different ways. My journey began as the President of Leicestershire Law Society back in 2015/2016.

Not long after I completed my year as President of Leicestershire Law Society back in 2016 I was nominated by Surinder Sharma DL, the then High Sheriff.

There are some questions which I am frequently asked and perhaps this is a good opportunity to address them. • Did you apply for the position? No. The High

Sheriff is nominated ( unbeknown to them) and then approved by a panel of people from the City and County, known as the shrieval panel. The nomination is then approved by the Lord Lieutenant and the Privy Council. • It is one of two Royal appointments in any

County – the other being that of the Lord

Lieutenant. • Do you get paid? No. It is a voluntary role with no financial or other support. • How long do you serve? 12 months. • Are you the first Asian woman to be High

Sheriff? No. Freda Hussain, a former head of

Moat Community College was the first. • Other women include Sally Bowie, Diana

Thompson and Alison Smith. I am the sixth woman in over a thousand years. • What is your role? It is a ceremonial role.

High Sheriff’s represent the Sovereign in their

Counties in upholding all matters relating to law and order. High Sheriff’s also lend their support to charities and the community. • Do you need to be a lawyer to be High

Sheriff? No. It is not a prerequisite. • Do you have a theme? My theme for my year is quite simply, connecting communities.

As a lawyer involved in health care and patient safety, a former teacher, a former Chair of our County Cricket Club, it seems befitting to consider the connections between Law and Order, between Sport, Health, mental health, and Education, and its importance not only in the prevention of crime but at a broader level, for the well being of our society.

One example - having been contacted to help with a policing initiative to use sport to engage and empower young people in an effort to prevent them from getting involved in violence and knife crimes, I was able to help make important connections between the Police, the community and Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

So far, I have met new people from all corners of our County, visited many charitable organisations, attended services, visited places of worship, sat in the Crown Court with a Judge, been on patrol with the response team from the local police station and had the privilege of supporting the community in many different ways.

Giving speeches at a moment’s notice is now something I have become quite accustomed to.

Choosing my Charities was not easy – with health, sport, education, and Law and

Order in mind, I chose Warning Zone, Healing Little Hearts, Steps, and Leicestershire County Cricket Club Foundation.

I have been lucky enough to have the support of two Police cadets –Phillip Scarborough and Anna Barnes, three consorts, Vijay Sharma, Krishna Kotecha, and Diana Esho and two Junior consorts, Evony Higgins and Zaara Moosa. The Very Reverend David Monteith is my Chaplain and spiritual advisor and Helen Johnson,also a former President of LLS, is my Under Sheriff.

EVENTS

Earlier in the year we had a celebration of fasting when members of the secular and non - secular community from Leicestershire, nationally and internationally, came together and fasted from sunrise to sunset, billed to be an annual event.

In July we had a sponsored walk around the Bosworth battle area with a tour guide raising just under £6,000.00.

Date for your Diary – 6th September 2022 @4pm

Join us on 6th September 2022 when we have a Connecting Communities Cricket Match and Festival at Leicestershire County Cricket Club, followed by

The High Sheriff’s Community Awards – Celebrating Unsung Heroes – 6th September 2022 @730pm ( Charles Palmer Suite)

We will be looking for members of the community ( those of different ability, men, women, children and young people) who embody this saying from Mahatma Gandhi

‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others’

If you know of anyone deserving whom you want to nominate then you can find the nomination form on the website –

www.highsheriffleicestershire.com

MOOSA-DUKE SOLICITORS CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR INJURED PATIENTS

The 2020 Law Society Awards evening which took place by Zoom in September 2021 due to the Covid pandemic was a big night for Moosa-Duke Solicitors.

Moosa-Duke Solicitors were awarded Small Law Firm of the Year and Director, Daniel O’Keeffe won Senior Solicitor of the Year. The work that the firm does on Cauda Equina Syndrome cases played a significant part in the firm’s award successes. MoosaDuke Solicitors are a niche clinical /medical negligence firm, with a national reputation for medical negligence cases and in particular Cauda Equina Syndrome cases. These are cases involving damage to the spine.

Delays in diagnosis and corrective surgery can leave patients with severe injuries such as bladder and bowel incontinence, loss of sexual function, chronic pain and loss of mobility. These are life changing injuries requiring specialist legal expertise which Moosa-Duke Solicitors provide on a regular basis achieving high value settlements for their clients.

The Moosa-Duke team of 18 continues to support vicitims of medical negligence all over the country through cases against the NHS and other medical professionals, continues to act for victims at inquests and raise awareness of Cauda Equina Syndrome.

Award winner Daniel O’Keeffe, who is also currently President of the Leicester Medico Legal Society, was honoured to be the only lawyer to be asked to take part in a new Cauda Equina Syndrome pathway, being created for Lancashire and South Cumbria.

By advising the doctors on the pathway, Daniel is able to directly contribute to a scheme, designed to improve the continuity of the service for suspected Cauda Equina patients both in the North West of the country and nationwide. This will hopefully speed up diagnosis and avoid anyone suffering avoidable life changing injuries.

Moosa-Duke has recently joined the legal Panel of the Cauda Equina Champions Charity. This Charity does amazing work supporting those who have suffered Cauda Equina Syndrome. It is a great recognition for the firm, as Moosa-Duke Solicitors are the only small firm on the Panel, which includes many national firms. It is a reflection of the reputation Moosa-Duke Solicitors have built in this niche area of law.

Moosa-Duke Solicitors look forward to working with the Charity going forward, to increase awareness of Cauda Equina Syndrome among the public and also with health care professionals as it continues to campaign for patient safety through its membership of the Society of Clinical Injury Lawyers (SCIL). 2023 will be the firm’s 20 year anniversary, having been founded in 2003 by Mehmooda Duke MBE DL ( currently High Sheriff of Leicestershire). Moosa-Duke Solicitors began with just one lawyer in a flat on London Road.

Over the last 2 decades, Moosa-Duke has remained focused on this one area of law and built up a national reputation.

Moosa-Duke looks forward to celebrating its 20 year anniversary in May 2023 and building on the firm’s success in the years to come with considerable determination not just to deliver a first class service to victims of the system but most importantly to ensure that it contributes to the changes needed to make healthcare better and safer for the public.